NEW EXPANDED FACILITY for REVERSE ENGINEERING
Kinectrics has opened a new Centre of Excellence facility to expand its Reverse Engineering (RE) services. The new facility features 3200 sq. ft. of lab and office space as well as a large, separate, secure area for inventory.
Other major sections of the new RE Centre of Excellence include Project Management Engineering and dedicated areas for Prototype Design and Production / Testing.
The Kinectrics Approach to Reverse Engineering
Kinectrics uses an integrated approach to reverse engineering. The component’s safety function is defined based on customer technical specifications, station wiring diagrams, OEM literature, and legacy component walk-down. Critical design characteristics based on FMEA analysis of the safety function are then derived. This rigorous process ensures that the replacement component not only meets the customer’s technical specification but is fit for system use.
The replacement component is based on legacy design where possible to avoid introducing new failure mechanisms into the system
We apply an approach based on a Timeless Design Principle, which takes into account, and effectively addresses, the potential for eventual product obsolescence in even the best product designs.
Kinectrics uses basic circuit-building components such as resistors, capacitors, op-amps and avoids microprocessors, multiplexers and all-in-one integrated circuits, enabling Kinectrics’ designs to be readily updated if a discrete component becomes obsolete.
We protect the customer’s investment in Kinectrics branded products. e.g. If packaging becomes obsolete, Kinectrics can easily re-design the PCB with the new footprint and continue future manufacturing of the product with only minor qualification reconciliation.
Kinectrics RE specialists understand maintenance and calibration requirements of legacy components and improve designs where possible to reduce maintenance requirements, e.g.
- Using tantalum capacitors in place of wetted aluminum electrolytic, so they do not require replacement over useful component life,
- Using low drift military grade operation amplifiers to reduce calibration frequency
- Arranging mechanical design so components do not have to be completely disassembled for routine maintenance
We ensure the replacement component can be installed in the existing locations and, be connected to electrical / mechanical process connections with the same terminal labeling to avoid the need to update existing system wiring diagrams.
Knowing how the design requirements delta and component OPEX affect the replacement component and, providing the required integration of material experts, EMC design and Human Factors engineering specialists can evaluate and implement modifications from the legacy design to meet the new requirements.